The message for this retirement blog is clear whether you’re a retired person or not. You can’t have too many books. Except perhaps under one set of circumstances – when you’re thinking about moving house. This probably at our age involves down-sizing but even if it’s simply moving from one property to another, it does give pause for thought.
As I told our valuer (a story for another time), the thought of moving or, worse still, getting rid of all these books makes me weak at the knees. I’ll include a few photos (first one below is library, second one is bedroom, next three are some of living room piles) to give you some idea of what I’m talking about but, in the meantime, let me just say, while having a lot of books has been a common and pleasurable feature to our lives and one that shows no sign of stopping, it does now feel slightly problematic.
There is a possible solution but you may think it a bit of an over-kill, or at least tangential, simply to avoid dealing with hundreds and hundreds of books. The solution is equity release. Didn’t expect that, did you? How does this help you ask? Well if we go down that route to enable us to pursue one of our projects, rather than down-sizing or simply moving, it means you don’t have to sell your house, ergo the books can remain where they are. They will be a problem but hopefully not yours.
So take a look at the attached photos and bear in mind these represent only a portion of the books we own. Our other two properties are similarly blessed. I dare say many of you are unable to understand the role that books have played and continue to play in my life for it is me rather than Mrs Summerhouse who has designated them the role. She has her own little foible. Where my books end, her art work begins, but that’s another, another story.
So the role of books? I could say why does anybody collect anything? I have read that people who collect also sell on or exchange their items. They may even see it as a source of income, the thrill of the chase and subsequent profit-making or maybe just simply owning an item, nostalgic or valuable. They may buy to leave it to their children as a kind of legacy. That would not be me, none of the above applies to my book collection.
There is a visual pleasure in looking at book-filled shelves but again that’s not it either. As best as I can explain it is that they are my protection against an increasingly unsympathetic world. We have one room full of books (first photo below) but ironically we don’t often sit in this room. It is sufficient to know that it is there and can be accessed when the emotional need arises. The idea was that this room would be the ‘library’ and the rest of the house would stay book-free.
As you can see from the photos, this has not happened, like some creeping tide, they are spreading pretty much all round the house and it is quite a big house as the valuer said. On entering our living room he pleasantly remarked, ah, a room relatively free of books. Cheeky monkey, is this why we’re paying you? Ah no, it’s a free valuation.
At the time of writing (Thursday) I am awaiting a phone call about equity release* and an email from my accountant who I assume is self-isolating or whatever it is that accountants do at times like these. As always I will keep you, my readers, informed about any developments about retirement in this retirement blog.
*Had phone call, we can borrow 44% of value of house.
